1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to an indoor unit for an air conditioner in which the indoor unit is installed standing on its head with ease. Further, this invention is directed to an indoor unit for an air conditioner in which drain problem of condensed water generated in the course of heat exchange in the indoor unit is solved to thereby enhance the use efficiency. Furthermore, this invention is directed to an indoor unit for an air conditioner in which convenience in carriage and installation is improved.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, air conditioner is a cooling/heating apparatus installed in an indoor space such as office, home or the like, for cooling or heating the indoor space. Also, air conditioner is an apparatus for changing air status through a series of cooling cycle made by compressor, condenser, expander and evaporator.
The air conditioner includes an outdoor unit installed at an outdoor space and an indoor unit installed at an inner space of a building. The outdoor unit is provided with a condenser and a compressor, and the indoor unit is provided with an evaporator. Between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, a refrigerant tube through which liquid or vapor refrigerant is circulated is installed.
The indoor unit is shaped in a rectangular bar and forms its appearance by a front panel, a side panel, a rear panel and an upper panel. A lower face of the indoor unit is opened to form a suction inlet and an upper surface of the indoor unit is penetrated to form an air outlet. In the meanwhile, a connection duct may be further installed in the suction inlet and the discharge outlet to connect the indoor unit with a space for air conditioning.
Inside the indoor unit is installed a barrier partitioning the inner space of the indoor unit into an upper portion and a lower portion. Below the barrier is installed a fan housing accommodating an indoor fan for generating a forced flow of air. Below the fan housing is installed an indoor heat exchanger. The indoor heat exchanger allows for heat exchange between refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant tube and air inflowed/outflowed by indoor fan. Below the indoor heat exchanger is installed a drain pan. The drain pan allows condensed water generated during an operation of the indoor heat exchanger to be collected and drained to the outside.
The drain pan is provided with a drain part protruded. The drain part is installed exposed to the outside and allows the condensed water staying in the drain pan to be drained to the outside. At the front panel, refrigerant tube through which refrigerant inflow or outflows and a plurality of penetration holes through which the drain part of the drain pan passes for connection with the exterior of the indoor unit are formed.
The conventional indoor unit has the following drawbacks. That is, when it is necessary to install the indoor unit in a standing state on its head depending on a change in the place where the indoor unit is mounted, and a change in the width and length of the place where the indoor unit is mounted, proper correspondence is impossible. In detail, when the inner door is mounted on the relatively high ceiling or the like in a standing state on its head, drain pan is positioned at the uppermost place of the indoor unit and indoor heat exchanger is positioned below the drain pan, which results in difficulty in collecting condensed water.
Also, in case the indoor unit is manufactured in a structure that allows only a standing installation on its head, it can be used only upon the standing installation on its head. Accordingly, a user fails to selectively install the indoor unit in a standing state on its head or a standing straight state. The drain problem of the condensed water occurs identically even in a lying installation as well as in the standing straight installation and the standing installation on its head.
Finally, due to this necessity, it is strongly required to provide a construction allowing the installation of the indoor unit in a desired direction. Especially, upon considering a tendency that the indoor space is narrowed and used densely in recent years, it is a strongly requested function to enable various alterations of the installation position of the indoor unit.